Method for transmitting data in a communications network and transmit device and receive device for a communications network

Abstract

According to the invention, data are transmitted by means of a data frame in a communications network from at least one subscriber connected to a communications network to at least one other subscriber similarly connected to the communications network, wherein the data are prepared for transmission in such a way that information for identifying or distinguishing the respective format of the data within a data frame is written into a field directly at the beginning of a data frame or into a field introducing a data frame.

1 . Method for transmitting data by means of a data frame ( 1 ) in a communications network from at least one subscriber connected to the communications network to at least one other subscriber similarly connected to the communications network, the method comprising:
 preparing the data for transmission in such a way that information used for identifying or distinguishing the respective format of the data within a data frame ( 1 ) is inserted into a field ( 4 ) directly at the beginning of a data frame ( 1 ) or into a field ( 4 ) introducing a data frame ( 1 ).   
   
   
       2 . Method according to  claim 1  characterized in that
 the information used for identifying or distinguishing the respective format of the data within a data frame ( 1 ) is already contained in a field ( 8 ) of the data frame ( 1 ) other than the field ( 4 ) at the beginning of a data frame ( 1 ) or introducing a data frame ( 1 ).   
   
   
       3 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that
 the communications network is configured according to the Ethernet standard and has the form of an Ethernet frame ( 1 ) according to the data frame ( 1 ).   
   
   
       4 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that
 the field ( 4 ) directly at the beginning of a data frame ( 1 ) or the field ( 4 ) introducing a data frame ( 1 ) has the position and form of a bit sequence that can be used or is used as the preamble ( 4 ).   
   
   
       5 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that
 at least one part of the content of the field ( 4 ) directly at the beginning of a data frame ( 1 ) or the field ( 4 ) introducing a data frame ( 1 ) is replaced by information used for identifying or distinguishing the respective format of the data within a data frame ( 1 ).   
   
   
       6 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that
 the information is inserted in such a way that for the serialization/deserialization, a previously unused code or control word of the correspondingly utilized transmission code is used that was redefined in advance accordingly.   
   
   
       7 . Method according to  claim 6 , characterized in that
 the 8B/10B code is used as a transmission code.   
   
   
       8 . Method according to  claim 7 , characterized in that
 at least one of the previously unused codes or control words “K28.0,” “K28.2,” and “K28.3” is redefined so that it corresponds to the information “IT standard data,” “I/O data,” and “diagnostics data,” respectively.   
   
   
       9 . Transmit device for transmitting data by means of a data frame ( 1 ) in a communications network from at least one subscriber connected to the communications network to at least one other subscriber similarly connected to the communications network, configured for use in a method according to  claim 1  and characterized in that
 the transmit device is configured to insert information used for identifying or distinguishing the respective format of the data within a data frame ( 1 ) into a field directly at the beginning ( 4 ) of a data frame ( 1 ) or into a field ( 4 ) introducing a data frame ( 1 ).   
   
   
       10 . Receive device for receiving data transmitted by means of a data frame ( 1 ) in a communications network from at least one subscriber connected to the communications network, configured for use in a method according to  claim 1  and characterized in that
 the receive device is configured to identify or to distinguish the various formats of data within a data frame ( 1 ) with reference to information that is used for identifying or distinguishing the respective data format and that is contained in a field ( 4 ) directly at the beginning of a data frame ( 1 ) or in a field ( 4 ) introducing a data frame ( 1 ).   
   
   
       11 . Communications system comprising at least one transmit device according to  claim 9  and at least one receive device according to  claim 10 .